Some Cubs fans still need to learn the difference between can't and won't

Stop believing and enabling their set of arbitrary, self-imposed financial limits

A few interesting things about the finances of MLB teams came out over the weekend.

The first was this handy chart that shows the increases and decreases in team payrolls from 2022 to 2023.

Jon Becker @jonbecker_

With all arbitration-year salaries settled and only a handful of notable FA left, let's take an updated look at our 2023 projected payrolls over at @fangraphs vs. year-end payrolls for 2022. $5B seems plausible w/ remaining FA to sign and incentives coming during the year:

Hey, look at the Cubs way up there with the fourth biggest increase in payroll from last year to this. Way to go, Jed and Crane and Tommy and, oh whatever.

They’d like you to not pay attention to the fact that the Pirates had the fifth biggest increase.

Yes, the Pirates increased their payroll by a whopping 22.9% which would be much more impressive if it was more than $13 million bucks.

The Cubs increase came in just below that at 22.8% at $34 million. The Mets ($80 million), Rangers ($52 million), and Padres ($41 million) were the only ones to increase it more.

Then again, none of those teams slashed the shit out of their payroll two years ago. Seems like that’s an important distinction.